The Brothers Day and Night
by Kaen Okami
Summary: A sick Mariam asks her big brother to tell her a story. After a moment of thought, Kassim decides to tell the one he knows best. "Once upon a time, the gods of the sky and earth had two sons. Brothers. The younger brother's name was Day, and the older brother's name was Night. They were born the same way, in the same place, but they were different. Very...very different."


**A/N - The dialogue taken from the anime is owned by Ohtaka Shinobu, not me. I do not own **_**Magi, **_**because if I did Alibaba and Morgiana would have hooked up by now, Hakuryuu and Judal would get their shit together, and we'd see more of Hakuyuu and Hakuren.**

**~0~**

"_Conceived and born was one of light, blood is spilt and man will follow_

_Infernal man, rain and dark, the other born black night."_

_Chapter Four, _Avenged Sevenfold

~0~

This plague was spreading too fast - far, far too fast.

It had hit barely two months ago, and already mass graves were overflowing, people dropped left and right, dying like dogs in the street, and nobody could remember what it was like to breathe air that wasn't thick with the odor of the diseased and decaying. He and Mariam had been luckier than most, Kassim had been told, to keep out of its reach for so long. He found himself agreeing. A few miserable weeks before the plague had taken hold of Mariam, and only four days before it had rendered her immobile, unable to do anything but lay in his arms while it wreaked havoc on her small body - yes, that was just their damned luck, wasn't it?

He supposed it wasgood, though, that he himself had, for whatever reason, remained uninfected. Sometimes, Kassim wished that it had been him instead of his innocent sister, but he always reminded himself immediately after that if he were sick, he wouldn't be able to take care of her. (And, he hated himself for thinking, if it were the other way around, she wouldn't know what to do with him, and they'd both die). Although he wished he could, he couldn't cure her, but he did everything else that he _was _able to do for Mariam. He got her as much food and water as he could get his hands on, falsely assuring her that of course he was giving himself just the same amount he gave her, took her to the river to bathe, held her close to him as much as possible to keep her warm when even in the blistering desert sun she complained of constant chills, and anything more his sister asked of him.

Mariam never asked much of him, even on the edge of death, limiting herself to small, easily accessible things that could comfort her. She asked to be taken places she had enjoyed in health ("Not for long, onii-chan, I just want to see it one more time"). She asked him to tell Zaynab and Hassan and their rest of their friends how much she loved them, since she didn't dare risk spreading her illness to them as well; it was risky enough that Kassim refused to leave her. Once, she asked him if he would say the same to Alibaba, and to let him know that he had always been her second favorite big brother. The mention of their brother made his lip twist with resentment - the chances that they'd ever see him again after he'd skipped off to the palace were slim to none, Mariam had to know that - but he'd forced on a smile and promised her he would just the same.

Most often, she asked him to tell her about their mother, their real mother who she couldn't remember at all, and _that _he was more than happy to do. With a genuine smile, he recounted everything he himself could recall about her. Her name was Lail, they had both gotten their looks from her, she used to tell him stories and rock them both to sleep at night, one time she and Zaynab's uncle had pulled off such a good robbery on an incoming caravan that they'd eaten well for a week, she had loved them both so much. However, amid all that, he carefully avoided talking about his last memory of Lail: their father, drunk as always, howling and raging; the steely look in their mother's eyes that said she'd come to a decision; her placing baby Mariam in his arms, telling him to run somewhere safe and that she'd come back for them soon, and then pulling out a knife as long as her forearm from under her pillow. Kassim had been old enough to put the pieces together and he'd known what she was going to try and do, but he couldn't make himself beg her not to, could only follow her final instruction and run from the house with his sister.

He didn't want to remember about, much less say, how he had stayed out all afternoon and night afraid to return home, about the moment he'd realized that Lail wasn't coming for them, about, when he had forced himself to go back, seeing the bloodied and broken body their father had thrown carelessly out onto the street. No. Kassim had never burdened his sister with that memory before, just as he had never told her how their father had really died, and he certainly wouldn't do so now. Mariam didn't need anything else to depress her, especially now, and she only liked the happy memories anyway. So this evening, when she asked him if he would tell her a story, he assumed that was what she meant, and began racking his brain for one about their mother that he hadn't told yet when she corrected him.

"No, I mean...A real story. That you make up. Like you said our mother used to tell you."

"Uh..." Kassim rubbed the back of his neck, taken by surprise. "Well, I...Uh..."

"You don't have to," Mariam hastily backtracked. "Not if you don't want to."

"No, no, I'll do it, I want to. Just...give me a minute. I don't usually think about this kind of thing."

He never thought about this kind of thing, he mentally amended, not with his focus on things that were actually important. But he'd certainly give it a try. _Let's see...Story, story, how do you make up a story? _he wondered when he found himself drawing a blank. _I guess you need an idea first. _For no particular reason, he lifted his head to look at the dimming sky. His eyes landed on the sliver of the royal palace visible from this part of the slums, and a familiar smiling face flashed into his mind. With that, inspiration struck. "All right," he said, adjusting Mariam so she laid more comfortably against his shoulder. "I think I've got a story for you. I don't think it'll be very good, but I hope you'll like it."

"I'll like anything you came up with," she assured him.

"Okay," Kassim began. "So, once upon a time - " he had no idea what that meant, but that was always how their mother started - "the...the gods of the sky and earth had two sons. Brothers. The younger brother's name was Day, and the older brother's name was Night. They were born the same way, in the same place, but they were different. Very...very different."

Hearing the sudden note of sadness in his voice, Mariam wondered if this was going to end up being a sad story, but didn't think of interrupting, especially with that faraway look in her brother's eyes.

"Day was bright and beautiful. His hair was light and yellow as the sun, and his eyes were like gold coins. He was the kindest and purest person you could ever hope to meet. Always smiling, sweet, and selfless. Day loved the world and the world loved Day, because he was perfect. Royal treasure." He couldn't quite keep the bite of bitterness from the last few words.

"Night, true to his name, was the polar opposite of his brother. He was bitter and dark, and rarely smiled. His hair was long and black, his skin tinged grey, and his eyes like ice. The world shunned Night as it loved Day, and so he was not as inclined to care for it as his little brother was. However, despite his cold blood, he was not heartless. As much as he begrudged Day his luck for having been born in the light, and loathed the fact that they had been born such different people, he loved his brother, and they were practically inseparable."

When she saw the little smile tugging at the corners of Kassim's lips, Mariam had to smile too. _I knew you still loved Alibaba-aniki. _"I like your story," she told him.

"Yeah? Well, this is the good part. Like I said, Day and Night were together all the time. They roamed both sky and earth, the realms of their parents, exploring every place that they could, and always discovering new and amazing things everywhere they went. They spent each day with their friends, and with the Stars, their impossibly _adorable _younger sister," Kassim added, giving Mariam an affectionate tap on the nose and making the girl giggle. "They knew that there were demons in the world that were hurting people, and if someone didn't do something about it, it would never end. So they took it upon themselves to use their power as the children of gods to get rid of them. Light dwelled in Day's hands that could burn away any evil thing in one flash. Night controlled shadows like a snake charmer, and he could make them do or become whatever he wanted them to. They were strong enough on their own, but when they fought together, Day and Night were invincible, more powerful than any other warriors in the world. They could do anything, and take one anyone they wanted."

"So they were heroes, then," Mariam put in.

"Yeah, heroes!" Kassim exclaimed, excited at the idea. "The brothers used their powers to wipe out all the evils in the world: demons named Hunger, Greed, Sickness, Apathy, Waste, Gluttony, and dozens, _hundreds _of others like that. They cleansed the world of everything that hurt humans, and they broke the chains that held them back from thriving. And then their people were happy, so happy. They all lived long lives, with full stomachs and clean water and soft beds and safe homes. Day and Night were happy, too, with what they had done together. They had never been without each other, after all, and they thought that they could never be separated."

At this, Kassim paused, his enthusiasm for his story dying down, and he looked away from his sister. "They were wrong. I don't think they were very smart," he continued listlessly. "Soon after they had finished their mission...the god of the sun descended from above and came to Day. He considered them brethren, as fellow beings of light, and declared that he wanted Day to return with him and one day take his place as a great god. As for Night and Stars, the two of them were so beneath his notice that they might as well have not existed. The only one who was worth any attention was Day - beautiful, golden Day.

"To his credit, Day did not immediately jump at the offer. He went from the god, to ask his older brother's opinion first. He asked Night what he should do, and if it was really right of him to go. But it was so pitifully obvious what Day truly wanted and what he had already decided he was going to do, that the already bitter Night was outraged. He angrily told Day to leave their world, that it was obvious that he was so different, so much _better, _that he shouldn't stay with them any longer. It was Day's blessed fate to live in the world of goodness and light, and Night had been born condemned to live in the darkness. Day was shocked and hurt at his brother's reaction, and he protested, but in the end he did what he knew he should, and left to become the heir of the sun god. And from then on, he lived a world away from his siblings. From then on, he basked in the light of the sun, while his brother and sister languished in the shadows, overlooked and forgotten. Day and Night were never to see each other again. As a being of light and a being of darkness, they had been born too differently to ever be able to exist together."

In the few moments of silence that followed Kassim's last words, Mariam wondered what was going to happen next, until it hit her that her brother meant for that to be the end. "Onii-chan, you can't end the story like that!" she cried. "That's just way too sad, the brothers loving each other so much and then never seeing each other again!" _You can't tell me we'll never see Alibaba-aniki again. He'll come back for us sometime, I know he will._

"...Sorry, Mariam," Kassim muttered, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm not that good with stories, I guess. And I don't have much experience with happy endings. Hey," he said, his tone picking up as a thought occurred to him. "How do _you _think the story should end? You'll probably pick a better ending than I would."

Mariam did not hesitate for a second. "I think that Day and Night go to see each other again, and they say that they're sorry and that they love each other. And they get to keep being together even if they're different."

"Is that right?" 

"Yes! They can't stay apart. If you don't have light, then you can't have darkness, and if there's no darkness then there can't be light either. They _have _to be together."

"Hm. I didn't think about it that way," Kassim said, privately thinking that light and darkness could get along just fine without each other. If Alibaba could do it, then he certainly could too. "I was right, that _is _a better ending. You're a better storyteller than me and you only said two lines, that's impressive."

"No, it was really good up until the end," Mariam assured him. "You know, you don't talk much, but when you do, you're really good at it. Do you think you got that from our mother?"

He only wished he could be like Lail had been. "Maybe. You're the one who's probably more like her."

"You really think so - ooh..." Her words trailed off into a yawn, and Kassim laughed.

"I've kept you up a little too late, haven't I? You should get some sleep, it'll be good for you," he said, knowing that the last few words were hollow.

Whether she realized that too or not, Mariam didn't complain. She didn't say much about it, but she was always tired now, and it didn't take long until she was fast asleep, softly snoring with her head resting on his shoulder. Kassim heaved a sigh, looking up again at the royal palace, now obscured in black. Mariam's ending to the story _was _the ideal one, but also the impossible one. Though, now that he gave it a little more consideration, he could think of a conclusion that depressed him less and satisfied him more.

_Tired of being shunted to the side in favor of his kinder, purer brother, Night decided that it was high past time he used his power for himself. He stormed the realm of the sun god, and pitted his shadows against Day's light, wanting nothing more than to smother his brother's perpetual hope and pride in them. The fight was long and arduous, but when it was over, for the first time in their lives Night had overcome Day, and finally stood in his place._

~0~

Despite knowing that it was only a matter of time, Kassim was still wholly unprepared when the plague claimed his little sister's life three days later.

"Hold on! Mariam!"

"It hurts...Onii-chan..."

"Mariam...Mariam..._Mariam!" _

The rational part of his brain knew that she was gone, that his screaming couldn't possibly bring her back to him. But that part was drowned out by the waves of pain crashing over him, that he didn't know if he could withstand. So he sobbed and howled out his grief, clutching his sister's empty body tightly to him, raging at everything he could think of: at the sickness that had stolen her away, at the father who had treated them like trash, at the mother who had failed to protect them, at their brother, their brother, _their damned perfect brother, _who had gone off and abandoned them to this fate. _It's not fair,_ he thought over and over again, _it's not fair, it's not fair, it's not fair._

Soon after, when he watched the slums burn, he knew he should feel that same stabbing pain - after all, his friends were crying beside him - but ever since he lost Mariam he had felt empty, as if all the anger and resentment he had once felt were now muted, weakened, unreachable. As if they had faded away with his sister's life. He couldn't make himself cry, or protest, or do anything at all but stare dully as the roaring flames consumed everything he has ever known and leave only memories, many he wishes he never had and others he wished he could live in forever. This had been done on King Rashid's orders...Kassim wondered if Alibaba knew what was happening to his former home. He wondered if the prince would care.

"Damn it! Why do these things happen to us?!" Hassan demanded, to no one and everyone.

"Because we never had anything to begin with," Zaynab answered through her tears.

They're right. They were only slum rats, worthy of nothing but pointless lives and cruel deaths. He looked down at his empty hand, wondering why there had never been anything they could do. This hand had so quickly killed his father to protect Mariam, but he could not protect everyone else so easily. They were born with nothing and they would die with nothing. This was their fate.

"That's not true," an unfamiliar voice from behind them argued. "Were you not the victims of robbery?"

Surprised, they turned to see a tall man in a black and yellow robe and face mask, that concealed everything but his red eyes. He continued, "It doesn't just happen in this country. In this world, the ones who stand on top do so by exploiting the ones beneath them. That is a fate worthy of cursing. Doesn't this bother you? Do you want to live your whole lives on the bottom? If you have the will to bring about a revolution, I will lend you my aid."

The stranger presented a long sword, engraved with the symbol of an eye near its hilt. The blade looked sturdy and strong, and the pure black metal gleamed in the firelight. As Kassim looked at it, with the word _revolution _echoing in his head, he felt a smile pulling at his lips, and every bit of the passion that had gone quiet inside him came surging back with a vengeance. He was the first one to step forward to the stranger. "Don't question my will," he told him loudly enough for everyone to hear, taking the sword in his hand. "I'll take you up on that offer."

"Kokubaku Mutou, the Sword of the Black Binding Fog - it seems to be a perfect fit for you," the stranger observed. "I assume you wish to be leader?"

"That's right." Kassim turned and faced the crowd, who had turned their attention from the fire to him, staring with a mixture of confusion and anger and excitement on their faces. "Anyone else who can't see a purpose in the pathetic lives we lead now, I'll lead you into a better one! The nobility, the royal family are the ones who forced us to stay this way and never change!" He threw his arm up and raised the sword to the sky. "Don't they deserve to be brought down?! Isn't this a chance we should take?!"

The cries of assent of hundreds of voices joined as one made his heart leap and his grin broaden. He glanced up at the sword he held, which had begun to emit the black fog it had been named for, that curled around the blade like the smoke from his burning home. The stranger had been correct - it was a perfect fit for him. This was a sword of great power, of pure darkness.

A sword of Night.

~0~

It had been years since the raid on the palace and subsequent formation of the Fog Troupe, and in those years Kassim had never expected to see Alibaba return to his homeland after he had fled that day. But return he did, and while Kassim forced himself to smile at the younger boy - he would prove to be a great advantage to their group, and he _was _pleased about that - inside him the old, vicious envy burned fiercer than ever. Here the prodigal son of Balbadd was back, older and more experienced and a Dungeon Capturer to boot. He'd been excited to show off Kokubaku Mutou, to impress Alibaba and show him how much stronger he had gotten since they had last seen each other. However, while he'd succeeded on those two counts, Alibaba quickly proceeded to relieve him of his excitement and the delusion that he'd surpassed him in at least one area by unsheathing his knife-turned-Metal-Vessel and unleashing a bright stream of fire into the air.

(The sight prompts the memories of that night years before to rise to the surface: _Light dwelled in Day's hands that could burn away any evil thing in one flash. Night controlled shadows like a snake charmer, and he could make them do or become whatever he wanted them to. They were strong enough on their own, but when they fought together, Day and Night were invincible. _Heroes they were not, but he wouldn't be surprised to find that he was actually psychic).

Even as the son of a whore, the king's bastard, the disgraced prince who, albeit unwittingly, betrayed his birth family and helped throw his country into disorder, Alibaba could still maintain his bright outlook on the world and go out to live respectably, while Kassim had only sunken further into darkness. However, it didn't matter as long as Alibaba was there to help him spark the fires of war. He told himself it didn't matter, and really, it hadn't.

Not until now. Not when Alibaba had suddenly turned on him again, saying that he would not let it come to war and swearing that he would fix everything without shedding a drop of blood. Not when what Kassim dismissed as foolish, naïve rambling turned out to be perfectly true, and Alibaba, amazingly, kept his word. Not when the crowds at the palace gates who would have been happy to help him storm the place once more have made a complete turnaround at the sound of the third prince declaring that he would transform Balbadd into a republic where everyone could live in freedom and equality. And especially not when he, having turned them right back around to his side and broken into the palace just as he'd intended because peace be damned, he would have his war and he would have a throne at the end of it no matter how much blood it cost, found himself confronted with his angry brother amid the fire of his Djinn.

There was neither fear nor uncertainty in Alibaba's face as he glared through the flames at Kassim, with his Metal Vessel out and ready. "Kassim, what are you planning?" he demanded to know. "The monarchy is done for. There's no reason for all this bloodshed. Why are you doing this?!"

He still didn't understand. His high-and-mighty brother could never understand. Of course not, he had never thought once about their differences, and so couldn't comprehend why Kassim would hang on to this one chance to change things like a starving dog to a bone.

"Answer me, Kassim!"

"I could ask you the same thing, Alibaba." He actually looked surprised. Maybe something would start to dawn on him before he died. The shadows of Kokubaku Mutou obeyed its master's belligerent thoughts, and began to flow from the sword. "Equality? A country without a king? When did I ever wish for something like that?"

He gave Alibaba no time to respond as he fired a blast of the shadows, kicking off the fight his brother should have realized was inevitable. Even as the prince showed off the new and unexpected power he'd gained and destroyed the rest of the Troupe's weapons in his Djinn's fire, even as he continued to shout at and question his former friend, Kassim was unaffected. He might have been inferior by blood, but he had always been the stronger one. He didn't know if Alibaba was willing to battle to the death, but he knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that he was. He would take Ithnan's words to heart, leap into Depravity with both feet, and sacrifice his own life if that was what it took to finally bring him down. Finally, he would reach that perfect ending he had dreamed of.

_Night pitted his shadows against Day's light, wanting nothing more than to smother his brother's perpetual hope and pride in them. The fight was long and arduous, but when it was over, for the first time in their lives Night had overcome Day, and finally stood in his place._

Kassim had learned and accepted early on that he was, had always been, and would always be surrounded by darkness. Now that he had made that darkness his own, he would use its power, and destroy everything that had ever kept him chained down and unable to become something great, starting with the brother he resented. The fraternal love Alibaba seemed to hold so dear had no place here any more, and neither did he.

~0~

_Light..._

He hadn't thought that it would be this way. He had thought that when he finally plunged his dark blade through Alibaba's heart, it would bring only satisfaction and perhaps some kind of other, bittersweet feeling. Not this, this upset of everything he had been so certain about. His brother's pure white rukh flowed through him, and with them flowed his thoughts and emotions, so much more complex than Kassim had assumed them to be. He felt the confusion, the grief, the sorrow, the painful awareness of their differences that Alibaba had harbored for as long as he himself had, and with them, a sincere conviction: _There should be a way for us to live together in happiness. There must be!_

What a fool he has been, he realized as the tears start to come. What a fool. His fate was not to be cursed, only to be accepted. They were different, true, and that really could never be changed. But that did not mean they could not be happy as they were. With this understanding, Kassim could feel the hate and loathing he had felt for his brother disappearing. His light really could burn away all evil things.

_Light..._

As his tears fell, the landscape around them began to glow as bright as a clear sky, unmarred by shadows, and he felt something shattering in some place he could not identify. He came to another realization: his own Djinn, the monster he had made of himself, was breaking apart. To his mild surprise, he wasn't frightened in the least by his impending death. "Looks like our time together is up, too," he informed Alibaba.

"Kassim, I came here to save you!" he cried, panicked.

"You've already done enough. I feel bad leaving without apologizing to those I dragged into this mess, though." Maybe Alibaba will be able to tell them how he felt, if they all get out of this safely. Maybe he should have talked more about his own feelings himself. Who knows what might have gone differently had they been more open with each other. "I should have talked to you more..." he murmured to himself. But what was done was done, and he could not change it. Whatever was left, was up to Alibaba now.

As the light of the rukh drew his unresisting form in, he heard Alibaba start after him, calling to him, not at all willing to give his brother up. Kassim glanced over his shoulder, and asked one last thing of him, both with his voice and a trace of memories and magoi sent to his body. "Say, Alibaba, we're..."

_Friends, right? _

The incredulity in Alibaba's voice at his question was somehow heartwarming to him. "Why? Why would you ask something like that? That's...That's...Of course we are, you idiot!" Even as Alibaba was yelling at him, Kassim thought he could hear him start crying again. He turned to get one last look at the younger boy, who was sprinting at him with everything he had and reaching out, still trying to retrieve him. Kassim smiled, brightly and genuinely for the first time in years, hoping to reassure him that he would be all right even if they couldn't return to the world of the living together. Alibaba could not reach him - he was past the point of no return at this point - but as he felt himself fade away, Kassim could hear his little brother's final words to him:

"We're friends!"

~0~

For a few moments after that, Kassim didn't know where he was or what he should expect to happen. In eighteen years of life, he hadn't thought about death except how to avoid it, and he realized that he had no idea what was supposed to happen afterward. He became aware that he seemed to be in a place similar to where he just left - he was standing on something solid, at least. Instead of blue, everything was a softly shining white, everywhere he looked. He was just about to start walking in search of anything informative, when he heard a voice he never thought he would hear again from behind him.

"Onii-chan! Over here!"

Kassim spun around so fast he almost fell over, and was completely shocked to see Mariam, cheerful and healthy again, standing just about twenty feet away and holding the hand of a gently smiling woman with golden eyes and dark dreadlocks. Even though it had been over ten years since he'd seen that face, he hadn't forgotten any part of it, and he felt his heart leap into his throat as she extends her free arm out to him.

In an instant, he was running for them just as Alibaba had run for him, tears of joy starting to run freely down his face. _"Mariam! Mom!"_

As soon as he reached them, Lail wrapped her arm around her son's shoulders and pulled him in close, letting him hug her back tightly and bury his face into the crook of her neck - he was almost as tall as she was now, he realized with some surprise. "My Kassim, my brave boy," she crooned. "My brave, strong, precious boy. I'm so proud of you."

Her praise only made him sob harder into her shirt. "I...I've missed you, both of you...s-so much...A-And I've done nothing to...to be proud of..." he managed to say.

"Not true," she insisted. "Life was cruel to you; I'm sorry I bore you into such a harsh world. Nothing was easy, but still you struggled, and fought, and survived. You protected your siblings when no one else was there to. And I know you did truly want the best for the people of Balbadd, even if you let other things get in the way of that. You were always able to succeed where I failed."

"...Failed?" He pulled back, confused. "When...When did you fail? You were so wonderful...You were perfect. The only one who could ever be better than Anise was you!"

"Anise...You should know that as soon as she arrived here I made certain to thank her for taking such good care of my children when I wasn't there to." Though Lail still smiled, he saw sadness in her eyes. As she reached out and brushed the moisture from her son's face, she explained, "I wanted to keep you and your sister safe, and to do what I had to so you could live a good life, even in the slums. I fought so you wouldn't have to. I stole so you wouldn't have to. And I took up that knife against your father so you would never, _never_ have to." She sighed, and glanced away from him. "But I failed. And you ended up taking on all of the burdens I wanted to keep off of you. I'm so sorry."

"Mom, you did everything you possibly could," Kassim assured her. "You tried so hard for us; even as a little kid I could see that. I don't blame you for anything!"

Lail didn't look entirely convinced, but she looked at him again, and her smile broadened. "You're such a good boy, Kassim. So worried about having your father's blood, and you're a thousand times the man he was."

His heart jumped at that - no one has ever said anything like that to him before, not even Anise or Alibaba - and then it jumped for a completely different reason. He looked down at his sister, realizing that his secrets probably weren't secret any more. "Mariam...I..."

"I know what really happened to Mom, and how you got rid of that man," she told him. "But it's okay. When I died, I was scared at first, but Mom was right there for me. She explained everything, and I know you were just trying to protect me. I'd rather have known already, but I understand."

Instead of being relieved, another memory made Kassim look away, shamefaced. "I think you already saw, but...I never told Alibaba what you wanted me to tell him, even after I saw him again. I'm sorry; he would have liked to hear your message."

"That's okay too!" Mariam said brightly. "I can just tell him myself!"

"Tell him yourself?" Kassim repeated. "Mariam, unless he gets killed, he's not going to - "

"I think you'll be able to speak with your brother a little sooner than that," Lail cut in, gesturing to their side. "Look. That's quite an extraordinary young friend Alibaba's made."

Kassim turned, and to his shock, he saw a great river of little golden-white birds - the white rukh, he assumes - flowing off into what looked like a crack in space, similar to the one he had just passed through to get here except this time he could see what laid on the other side: the blue-haired boy he'd seen with Alibaba, who had a staff in his hand and the same symbol he'd noticed on Alibaba's Metal Vessel glowing on his forehead.

"When we die, our souls return to the Great Flow of Rukh, that travels around the entire world," Lail told him. "Normally, those who die can't return to the world of the living, or engage the ones we've left behind, but we can watch over them as they live their lives, as Anise and I have watched over the three of you. But now I think that you might be able to go back, if only for a short time."

The blue-haired boy spoke something that Kassim couldn't make out, and then felt a pull somewhere in his gut beckoning him forward, telling him it was all right. He stood still for a moment, still trying to puzzle it out, but Mariam wasn't about to hesitate for a second. She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the flow. "Onii-chan, come on! Let's go see Alibaba-aniki!"

"Yeah...Yeah, let's go!" Kassim agreed, and they both started running straight for the opening.

When they passed through it, one after the other, there was a bright flash of light and then they were there by the palace steps and a stunned, kneeling Alibaba. He was startled to see Mariam suddenly right beside him, but leaned forward to hear what she whispered in his ear - _You were always my second-favorite big brother! - _and then turned to see Kassim behind him. Kassim chose to ignore what must be his body lying on the stone (what an awful wreck he'd made of it) and smiled at Alibaba as Mariam took his hand. _You see? We're all right now. Don't worry about us any more. _He didn't know if his thoughts could be heard in this odd form, but he knew they were clear on his face. Alibaba must have understood at some level, because he looked positively overjoyed. He'd be okay, Kassim was certain. Whatever happened, he would be okay. And as he and Mariam rose back into the rukh - back to their waiting mother, he remembered with a thrill - he swore to himself that he would watch over Alibaba as well, and be there as a silent witness to his brother's sure ascension to glory, wherever he found it.

~0~

It has been over a year since Kassim's death, and he has stuck to his promise just as Alibaba would. By way of the rukh and the fragment of his magoi that had fused with the other's, he has kept careful watch over his younger brother. Through Zagan's dungeon, through the seas, and through every second of his training in the Reim Empire, Kassim has been there with Alibaba, who has grown and matured rapidly in the relatively short time since he'd left Balbadd.

He watches the prince now, standing proudly at the bow of a warship sailing for Magnostadt, clad in a new tunic and boots, with his Metal Vessel sheathed at his hip and the wind blowing through his now-long golden hair. He looks every inch the warrior he aspires to be - every inch a king, surrounded by light. That Magi friend of his has the right idea, Kassim thinks, picking him for the job. (The Magi of Kou and his precious scarred boy can go straight to hell for all he cares, if they get in Alibaba's way). He can't wait to see what will happen next for his brother, because he gets the feeling that Alibaba's story will be long and magnificent. As for him, his part in that story is over. But that's all right. Finally, Kassim has found their perfect ending.

_No one could change the fact that Night and Day were different. But they did not let that stop either of them from prospering. Day rose to become a great and powerful god of the sun, blessing all the earth with his divine light, and Night ruled as lord of the darkness, protecting all that the shadows touched from harm. Though they lived in completely separate worlds, they could still be together. They could never truly be apart, for just as darkness cannot exist without light, so too could light not exist without darkness. And for as long as Day and Night existed, there would never be a grudge strong enough to mar the love they had for each other, and the brothers would be content forevermore._

**~0~**


End file.
